[New_csc_newsline] Summer update

[Nathan Leaf]

Dear Concert Singers,



I write, on this the 22nd day of July, as the dog days of summer approach.
They aren’t quite here yet – the rain last night gave us a bit of a
reprieve – but maybe another week before the inevitable sense that the end
of the summer has arrived, and the sun decides to beat down with a little
extra fervor just to rub it in. My Scandinavian heritage inclines me
towards melancholy at times like this. Well, honestly, at most any time,
especially when I’ve just finished a Henning Mankell novel. Now, for those
of you who consider melancholy to be bad news (I do not. See previous, RE:
Scandinavian heritage), you can take in a deep, happy breath because I’ve
got a whole lot of good news to share with you. Mostly, though not
entirely, it involves the upcoming season, which is shaping up to be
exciting in all sorts of ways.



Our general theme for the season is “Songs you love to sing.” First, the
fall: On October 27, we’ll be performing a very exciting piece titled THE
WORLD BELOVED: A BLUEGRASS MASS. Now, you may be saying to yourself, we
aren’t a bluegrass choir! (I’m not sure such a thing even exists.) But
that’s OK because we’ve booked a great band to perform with us, Hank,
Pattie, and The Current. You can look them up online – they are going to be
one of the mainstage bands this year at the bluegrass festival in Raleigh
and are the perfect group for a piece like this. You can find an excellent
recording of the Mass on youtube. Here is a link to the first (of 11)
movements:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ytvtk78wOXg&list=PLnBs1ruDE0EDWbpe_qW84QlZuNBm6hqe4



After bluegrass, we’ll come back to familiar things, Holiday Pops on Dec. 8
and Chamber Choir Messiah in Apex on December 15. Pops will have a bit of a
different feel this year, as we’ll have the choir with brass quintet, a
jazz combo, and an MC.



We are still waiting on final confirmation of a couple of the spring dates,
but we’re confident enough that things are settled that we can share some
basics with you. Late February will introduce a new venture with the Choral
Artists – an exploratory performance of Bach’s Cantata 140, *Wachet auf*,
that will involve discussion of the music, live musical examples by the
performers, then a performance of the piece. February 25 will be our second
annual Cary Big Sing – invite your friends again! The music we will use
will be taken from the concert we will do in the first half of March, music
from the Great American Songbook. April 5, we will reprise some of that
music to join with Cary Youth Voices on their concert. And to conclude the
season, on Sunday May 5, I am very pleased that we will be returning to the
stage of the Carolina Theater to perform music of Mendelssohn and Debussy
with the Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle.  All in all, it is an exciting
season with a little something for everyone.



Beyond the season plans, your board, staff and volunteers have been hard at
work with planning and arrangements for all the nitty-gritty details that
are necessary to keep Concert Singers going, including finances, fund
raising, web site updates, and the like. We can all be thankful for the
good work they are doing – the next time you see a board member, give them
a pat on the back.



As you know from Thom’s email earlier this summer, our first rehearsal will
be Sept. 10. Auditions will start on August 20, and this year, all altos
and tenors who have not yet auditioned or re-auditioned for me should sign
up to do so. Anyone who auditioned for me last year does not need to do so
again this year. If returning singers could please sign up for August 21,
that would be helpful. You can sign up for that date here:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0f4bada72aa02-20184



If you cannot audition on August 21, that is OK, sign up for one of the
other dates. Slightly revised audition guidelines will be on the website by
August 1. The musical examples will be the same as what is posted now.
Please bring a prepared song to sing – it can be as simple as a hymn tune.
Those who want to be considered for the chamber choir should bring more
advanced prepared repertoire. There will be some music reading and
vocalizing as well. I appreciate that for some, auditions are a nerve
racking experience. Yet they are a necessary part of maintaining a healthy
choir. Simply come and sing your best.



I also want to say a few words about personnel for the chamber choir and
choral artist performances. Each performance that the chamber choir or
choral artists sing will be made up of a roster of singers chosen for the
needs of that specific concert and repertoire. Different singers who have
expressed an interest for singing with the smaller group may be asked to
sing for some concerts, and perhaps not for others, again, depending on the
needs of the music and available personnel. I can understand how this can
cause uncertainty at times for those who are interested, and I know singing
with the chamber choir is a meaningful experience for many. For each
specific chamber choir or vocal artist event, I will send out an
invitation, usually by email, with the rehearsal dates and times. An
invitation to sing with the chamber group for one event does not
necessarily mean one will come for all the chamber choir events. Likewise,
if you do not get an invitation for one particular concert, that does not
mean you are “off the list” in any way. My goal in the selection of
personnel for each event is to make the best possible music we can and also
to provide opportunities for many different people. As always, I am happy
to answer your questions, but please also understand there may be times
when I cannot immediately give you a definitive answer.



I hope you enjoy these last few days, before the dog days arrive. For me,
those days will be welcome because that means we are even closer to getting
started with our next season.



See you soon!

Nathan


-- 



*Dr. Nathan Leaf, D.M.A.Director of Choral ActivitiesAssociate Teaching
Professor   North Carolina State University*
*Artistic Director*
*   Concert Singers of Cary*




*214 Price Music CenterCampus Box 7311Raleigh, NC 27695*

*Phone:  919.515.8280**music.arts.ncsu.edu <http://music.arts.ncsu.edu>*